Method and apparatus for working sheet material



April 3, 1951 F. B. PFEIFFER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WORKING SHEET MATERIAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 6, 1945' April 3, 1951 F. a. PFEIFFER METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WORKING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Nov. 6. 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fred d 2257 gfiqfaww ATTORNEY April 3, 1951 F. B. PFEIFFER 2,547,835

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WORKING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Nov. 6. 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 3, 1951 ME!IHQ D ANDAPPARATUS FOR WORKING snn rr A'r aa L' Fred 'B. 'P feifier, Akron, Ohio lipplication Npvemher s, 1945, Serial No. 27 063 lhis invention relates to an improved method of warnin rticl ai w1 m a t for Practisin su h m t ad- T e invention ca s forward the broad inventive concept disclosed in my co-pending application Serialbio; 193,214, filed-February 25, 1938, and now issuedaslPatent 2,5 86550 of November 1, 1949, and it' adds thereto certain steps in'the method and features ofmae chine construction and operation havin practical impo t nce The invention contemplates wrapping or packaging either party or completely various objects with afilm or sheet of such a natureasitobe capable f nform n t an .d e slian to accommodate the object or article 9r material being wrapped or packaged. in som practices of the invention such f lm or sheet materialis preferably moi t pr of a imp meable air and other gasesand i heatsealable, that is, capable .oihaving engaging portions fused when heated. One such material which issuitahle for practicingthe invention and .which is commercially available is a rubber hydrohalide, more specifically a rubber. hydrochloride, manufactured by the Goodyear Tire andRubberCompanyof Akron, Ohio, .underthe trade name of l liofi lm,

such material being more specifically described the Calvert'Batent No. 1,989,632,.of January--29, 1935.

One feature of. the invention contemplates heating and stretching appropriate strips of wrapping material in suchv manner as to reduce the thickness of such stripscwithouta substantial decrease in the width or surface area of said :strips.

Another feature of the invention resides in novel combinations of simple 'mechanicalueleaging operations.

'Still another feature of the invention is the ments making possible rapid repetition ofpacke provision for supplying film or wrapping material "to a packaging station in a heated andsoftened condition suitable for the stretch-wrap packaging operation and the provision -'of heated means adapted to operate on restricted areasiof the film provision for supplyin a uniform temperature to the film or wrappinglmaterial before it reaches the wrappingstation.

Another feature of the invention is the elimination at the wrapping or packaging station of any heated member of any substantial volume and thereby protecting the film or wrapping material from transferred heat sufiicient to materially affect the temperature of the film or wrapping m teria Another feature f the invention is the provision in a wrappingmachine of means for relative adjustment of its parts tofacilitate interchange of cooperating wrapping station members whereby diiferent sizes and shapes of objects, articles or material may be Wrapped or packaged onthe samemachine. Y

One form of the invention, as practiced in covering confections suchas lollipops, comprises ordinary supporting members 'on which is mounted a conveyor provided with successively spaced tubular sockets adapted to receive the handle of a lollipop to be wrapped and to retain the bqdy portion of the lollipop in an upright position above the conveyor and to advance it into and throughfla wrapping station consisting .oirotating cooperating members around which are led converging strips offilm or wrapping material between which the lollipop is fed and wrapped. One of thecooperatingmembers of the wrapping stationis providedon each of circumferential edge portions with a heated Wire retained in a grooove said wire in operation'being heated-to atemperature sufiicient to fuse the conyerged strips of film or wrapping material as thecor'iverged strips are pressed together against said circumferential wire by a cooperating circumferential raised portion on the other cooperating member. In this form of the invention this circumferential wirelis heated hot enough to fuse but not hot enough to sever the film or wrapping "material. Ho'wever it is to be understood that in other terms thi circumferential wire may be hot enough to both seal and sever the film or wra i m eri One o th a cooperating members is provided onone or more transverse portigns with a heated wire which is also retained and su pend d in q vesaid Wire being heated 3119 a temperature sufilcientto both fuse and sever transversely the said converged strips as they are portion f t e co era iv m r may i any one ofseveral practical arrangements and suc an es .QJPBWUEQI? inv nt n a oqnv re i st irseie m 9r Wr ppin m a the conception of my of proper width are led from two supply rolls toward each other, first onto a driven take-off roll and then across a space onto a driven heating roll and next onto the cooperating packagin station members. I prefer to have the surface of the heating roll and the cooperating packaging station member contact although it is to be understood that they may be spaced apart if found desirable and driven at different surface speeds. In the present arrangement the supply roll is an idler roll with a brake. The take-off roll has a surface speed of less than that of the heating roll so that as the strip material passes between them it is put under tension but since the strip of material is relatively inextensible until heated it does not stretch until it becomes heated by close association or contact with the heated roll thus localizing the stretching area of the said strip to a narrow transverse area substantially at the contact point of the strip and the heated roll. The curved surface of the heated roll anchors and prevents the edges of the strip of film or wrapping material from converging and the unheated portion of the strip being relatively inextensible does not stretch and therefore does not narrow. Accordingly it will be seen that this arrangement permits, if desired an extreme stretching of the strip longitudinally with practicall no narrowing of the strip in width.

, The cooperating members of the wrapping or packaging station are mounted for simultaneous rotation in opposite directions. These cooperating members have their surfaces formed with cavities of a size larger than the body portion of the lollipop to be covered. Or these said cooperating members may be in the form of a pair of annular supporting members spaced from each other in axial alignment and mounted for rotation in unison and having one or more circumferentially spaced cross-members which may be in the form of a bar or bars to form a squirrelcage-like device, or the peripheral cross-members may extend to a hub to form a device on the order of a paddle wheel. In any of these arrangements or modifications thereof the strips of film or wrapping material are led onto each of the cooperating members the said strips overlying the circumferential edge portions of the wrapping station and are held from drawing down between these edges by the strip material folding over the outside edges of the cooperating members. This folding of the material is due to the film or wrapping material being softened by heat and under tension and therefore capable of stretching down about the said edges. The strips will be bridged over the edges and the cross-members of the wrapping station and the body of the lollipop being conveyed toward the wrapping station by the conveyor, as has been described, passes into the bite of the wrapping station members the movements of the feed of the lollipop and the rotation of the cooperating wrapping station members being timed so that the lollipop is caught between the strips of film or wrapping material at a point over cooperating cavities or opening in the wrapping station members. The heated and softened film stretches about the lollipop body and is fused together about it by the separate strips of film being pressed together against the said circumferential heated wire and accordingly successive lollipops are wrapped and the wrapped lollipops separated from each other by the web of film or wrapping material of the two strips'between the successive lollipops being pressed against the heated wire suspended in the groove of the transverse or cross-member of the wrapping station and thereby being both fused together and severed transversely between the said wrapped lollipops thus completing the wrapping of the confection.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily appreciated from the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein one form of the invention has been shown by way of illustration, and wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary side view of one form of machine for practicing the novel method in conjunction with the wrapping of confections;

Figure 2 is a sectional front end view thereof;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the same;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the course of the film or wrapping material from the supply roll about the various members of the apparatus to its position on objects being covered;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail side view showing means for maintaining the proper elevation and correct spacing of lollipops as they enter the wrapping stations;

Figure 6 is a front view of the members comprising the wrapping, sealing and severing station;

Figure 7 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring shown in Figure 6 and electric current delivery means to said wiring;

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Figure 6 and drawn to larger scale;

Figure 9 is a detail cross-sectional view of the film or wrapping material heating roll showing the heat supply means, the heat stabilizer liquid and the thermostatic control thereof.

Referring more particularly to the drawings it will be seen that the invention as therein illustrated is embodied in a machine for wrapping a confection of a type known as lollipops. Each confection comprises a handle A, having on one end a piece of candy B of any ordinary or preferred size and shape. A plurality of these confections are placed successively in a series of tubular sockets l0 carried by an endless conveyor belt I I which runs over and between a pair of suitable idler pulleys, not shown, which guide and tension the belt. The belt II is supported in its forward travel on angle iron members 22 and 23.

The sockets ID are attached to the belt H by the belt being clamped between units l2 and I3 which are screwed on suitable threads not shown on'the ends of sockets II). It is to be understood that the nut I2 may be so shaped as to facilitate the easy insertion of the end of the handle A into the socket I0 as for example by countersinking or funneling. The nuts I2 and [3 engage driven sprockets and I5 whereby the belt H is actuated. The sprockets l4 and I5 are spaced apart to permit the belt I l to pass between them. These sprockets i4 and I5 are slidably attached by means of splined key to a driving shaft [6. The driving shaft I6 is driven through a reduction gear l1, pulleys l8 and I9 and belt 20 driven by a motor 2|. The pulleys I8 and I9 are held suitably attached to the drive shafts of the reduction gear I! and the motor 2|.

The driving mechanism just described is supported on an iron angle member 30 which in turn is supported by means of adjusting bolts 3| rigidly attached to angle member 30 and adjustably attached to an angle member 32 b means of adjusting nuts 33 and 34. The angle member 32 is supported by suitable legs 35. v

The iron angle member 30 also serves as a support for two bearings 40 which support two bearingsupport rods 41.. slidablyiadillstahle on rods 41! are mounted feeder .roll bearings Aland 42a; heater roll bearings 5.43 .andlz l3a; coop 1 ing ,awrapping :station member bearings .44 and 44a; andsprocket chainltension adjustmentboaring 45. iIhesegbearings, are of laconvention l pli bearing type which allow ,fortthe .removalandreplacement of .the shafts that operate gtherein by removing the cap of the bearingfrom the portion of the bearing which .is .held in position on the slide rods 41. :Byreference :to Fig. .2 ,it will j-be seen that these .said caps are attached ,to the slidable portion of the bearings by means ;of slatted cap :retainer screws shown but not identified. =Said.bearings;42,.- t2a, A3, 43a, 44, 44a, and '45 are held .in any desired position .on'gthe slide rods 41 by .meansofset screws 4,1. Accordingly these bearings can .be moved toany desired position on the slide rods ,toaccommodate yarious diameters of rolls and wrapping. stationrmembe rs which maybe found necessary to use in wrapping articlesof various sizes. It W ill,.also bemoted by reference to Fig. 2 that the,comp-lete -assembly supported by angle to may be 1raisedgor;lowered to any desiredoperative position by means of its supporting rod 3l .being raised or lowered by adjustment of locking :nuts .33 and 34. Itis pointed out thatas this assemblyisraisedor lowered the shaft lfiwillslide-through the sprockets I4 and i5 .leavingsaid sprockets in their proper plane in reference to .the belt H. Rotatably mounted in bearings 42. and 42a are feed rolls 50 and 50a respectively with sprockets 5| and 5m attached to feed rol1s 50 and 513a respectively. Rotatabl mounted in bearings :43 and 43a are heater rolls. 52 and52a respectively with sprockets 53 and 53a attached to heater rolls 52 and52a, respectively. Alsorotatablymounted in bearings .44 and Ma are wrappingstationmembers154 and 54a .respectively with sprockets 55 and 55a attached to wrapping station members 5dand 54a respectively. Rotatably mountedinbearing 45 is sprocket chain tension adjustment sprocket 56. A sprocket chain 5'lis driven by means of sprocket 58 attached to driving shaft Hi. This sprocket chain 5.1;drives sprockets5l,;5la, 53., 53a, 55,.55a and;56.

Film or wrapping material supplyrolls C and D are mounted on turntables H and Ha which revolve inbracket bearings 12 and 12a which in turn are rigidly attached to wtangle iron support member 32 by means of bolts "Brand 13a. The supply rolls C and D are provided with braking mechanism consisting ofa movable brake-shoe l4 and 14a respectively pivotally mounted on brackets 1.2 and 12rd by means of-pivotpin l5 and 15a. The brake-shoes l t and 14a are held in frictional contact with the supply rolls Cand D respectively by means of tension springs 16 and 16a respectively.

Strips E and F are vprogressively ;drawn lfrom supply rolls C and D respectively by;means'of the driven r0115!) and'50a respectively. These rolls 50 and 50a are not heated and have suflicien-t frictional surface contact with the strip of film or wrapping material to prevent any slippage of the said film or wrapping material on the surface of the rolls 50 or 50a. The surface travel of rolls 50 and .Eflaare governed by the ratio of the number of teeth in the sprocketi5l and 5la respectively to the drive isprockets 5,8.

Strips E and :1 travel from roll 50 to roll 52 land from roll 50o=to-roll 52a. The. ro1ls:52 andiiZa are heater :rolls :and are spaced ;sufiici ently to :l erita ysubstantialat ansfe :of :heatfromthe said ea in :rlfQllS J20 the o s :5 and 2595. main aining the ,,,;ate a1 of ;ai d F i a relaive y cold condition i it c mes i t clo e p ximity with the said h ated roll heated rolls 5: and52a cons s o a r ata cylindrical liquid con aine me ber .52 and 521 containing a liquid .81] for retaining heat at -a constant temperature. Emerse in the liquid are heatingelements .Bi-and Bid and ai hermostatM for regulatingzthe temperature. of the 'said liquid. Thesaid .heater members -84 and 81a and the thermostat members 82 andfia are rigidly upported .on bearings .43 and 434; with the result that .the liquid in thereYOlVing members 52 will beagitated by means :of the stationary members 81 d 78m and t2 and 82a and the e y a uniform temperature throughout the liquid and also prevents localized heating of the liquid retaining member in the Wall adjacent to the heater element. The said strips E-andF continue their travel by passing between roll 52 and wrapping station member 54, and roll 52a and wrapping station member 54d these wrapping station members being cooperating members between which the strips E and F'converge in portions of the said strips surfaces whereby the strip are stretched about the lollipop or other article .or material to be covered.

The member 54 consists of .a frame comprising disk-likeend-portions 90 and 9|, and transverse connecting members92. This member .54 isslupported on shafts .93 and .94 and'ashaft 9.3 isattached to the driving sprocket 55 while the shaft :94 is extended below-the .angles :22 ,where it is pulled toward a shaft IEM in anysuitable manner as by means of .a tension spring 95 the end of thessha-ft I04 being extended from wrapping member 54a. Adjacent to portion .90 is mounted in asuitabl y insulatedmanner an electrical col- *lector ring 95 and adjacent to member 96 is a second insulated electrical collector ring 191. Traversing the length of bars 92 and in their outside faces are grooves 98fand 98a. In end portion 9| are formed semi-circular grooves .99

adapted to receive the handles A of the lollipops B permitting said handles A to lie below. the periphery of the end :memb'er BI. In the peripheral edges of end members .90 and 9! are formed grooves no and HI respectively. A resistance wire I I2 is attached at one end to collector ring .91 and is extended through an insulated channel, not identified, to a groove III at ajppiglt I I3 at which point it is brought to the bottom surface of the groove III. This wire H2 extends around the bottom of the said groove ill to a point H4. From point H the wire H2 continues through an insulated channel, also not identified, to groove H0 at a point H5. From point 1 I5 the wire I [2 extends around the bottom surface ofgroove 'l l;0 to a point Ht. From the point H6 said wire 1-12 continues to a point H! where it is connected to a wire H8 which is of a, smaller cross-sectional area than that of wire I I2. This wire 8 is suspended from end memher 9!] to end member 9! in a path following the central portion of the grooves 38. As show-n at .a point N9 the wire H8 extends through an insulator washer I20 (see Fig. 6) to a point lZi.

From point l2l Wire H8 is suspended from end member 9! to end member through the cen- ;it is connected.

The member .5411 ,is adapted to cooperate with :m mber .54 and s adapted for rotation i opposite direction to the rotation of member 54. This member 5411 consists of a frame comprising disklike end portions I and transverse connecting members I0-2 such members having formed in their longitudinal faces grooves I08 and I08a said grooves I08 and I08a being positioned to cooperate with the grooves 98 and 98a, respectively to arch over the suspended wire I I8 in said grooves 98 and 98a. End members I00 and IOI are provided with projecting rims I and I2I respectively. These projecting rims are adapted to cooperate with grooves and are ositioned at suflicient depth to contact the wire II2 which lies on the faces of the bottom of thegrooves H0 and III. This member 54a is provided with a-shaft I03 attached thereto by means of screws through a flange on the end of said shaft. The said shaft is driven by sprocket 55a.

Referring now to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the lower end of the handles A of the lollipops slide on an adjustable strip I3I as they are carried forward by means of the conveyor belt sockets I0. The adjustment of this strip, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 2, is effected by means of adjustable screws I32 maintained in selected position by a lock unit I33. In Fig. 5 is illustrated a means of positioning the portion B of a lollipop as it enters the wrapping stations as has been found necessary in' cases where crooked or bent lollipop handles are used. Such handles are frequent in cases where flexible handles are used. This positioning is accomplished by means of two driven sprockets I34 and I35. The sprocket I34 overlies sprocket I35 in an advanced position as will be seen by reference to Fig. 3. Referring again to Fig. 5 it will be seen that the sprockets I34 and I35 are attached to a shaft I36 by means of set screws I31. The shaft I36 runs in a bearing I38 this bearing being supported on the flange of angle member 22. The sprocket I35 is driven by the socket units I2 as they move forward with the travel of the conveyor belt II and this actuates the shaft I36 to which the sprocket I34 is attached and in the manner said sprocket I34 is rotated. The sprocket I34 is positioned on its shaft I36 so that its teeth are above the tops of the nuts I2 and the edges of said teeth will pass on a line tangent to the hole in socket I0 so that a bent handle of a lollipop is prevented from lagging by the edges of said teeth urging the lollipop forward as is diagrammatically shown in Fig. 5.

Coming now to the operation of the device: The handles A of lollipops are placed in the sockets l0. his may be done manually or automatically as the conveyor belt II moves toward the wrapping station the belt being actuated by means of the motor 2| driving through the motor pulley I9, belt 20, reduction gear pulley I8, reduction gear I'I, shaft I6 and sprockets I4 and I5 which sprockets I4 and I5 engage nuts I2 and I3 respectively whereby the belt is given a continuous forward motion carrying the sockets I0. While I have shown the belt to be actuated in a continuous motion it is to be understood that intermittent motion may be accomplished by means of rachets or like as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. As the lollipops approach the wrapping station they are maintained at a predetermined'elevation by the lower ends of the handles A sliding along the top surface of the strip I3I. The purpose of this elevation strip I3I is to maintain the body portions B of the lollipops in proper position as it passes through the wrapping stations 54 and 54a so that the wrapper will have the desired marginal di mension around the body portions B. If it is desired to change the elevation of the body portion B of the lollipops this may be accomplished by manipulating adjusting screw I32 and lock nut I33. In practice not all lollipop handles are straight and accordingly the body portions B of some of the lollipops are not central with the socket I0. Any oif-center condition of the body said portions sidewise or forward do not produce objectionable results but an off-center body portion that leans backward, if not corrected, will .result in the body portion B being caught between the transverse bars 92 and I02 of the wrapping station as they rotate toward each other. To avoid this the handles A are engaged by the sprocket I34 which urges and retains the body portion B forward into a central position which action occurs at the moment bars 92 and I02 of the wrapping station start to approach each other. Rolls C and D of suitable film or wraping material as of Pliofilm of proper width are placed on the roll holders II and Ila respectively. The strip E from roll C is placed in operative position by being led partially around a take-off roll 50, thence partially around .a heater r011 52 and thence partially around wrapping station member 54. The strip F from roll D is similarly led around rolls 50a, 52a and wrapping station member 54a. The stock rolls C and D are not driven but the members 50, 52, 54, 50a, 52a and 54a are driven by means of the sprocket chain 57 which is driven by sprocket 58, which in turn drives those last mentioned members through sprockets 5|, 53, 55, 5Ia, 53a and 55a respectively. Said sprocket chain 51 is kept in correct operating tension by means of adjustable sprocket 56. Sprocket 58 attached to main drive shaft I6 through the medium of sprocket chain 51 and sprockets 55 and 55a position members 92 and I02 parallel with the path' of the belt II and at the same instant the sprocket I4 and I5, also attached to the drive shaft I6, positions socket l0 centrally between said wrapping station members 92 and I02. Thus it will be seen that a lollipop body portion carried forward by its handle being inserted in socket ID will pass the center line :c-x shown in Fig. 4 of the wrapping station members at the moment the wrapping station bars 92 and I02 are at right angles to said center line. Returning now to the film or wrapping material supply the strip E as it passes around the roll 50 is held in not slipping contact with said roll by means of the tension exerted on the strip by the dragging action of the brake I4. Since no slippage occurs on the roll 50 the surface travel of the roll and the strip E will be the same. The surface travel of the heated roll 52 is more than the surface travel of the take-off roll 50. Due to the high frictional resistance to slippage of the film or wrapping material with the heated surface of roll 52 no slippage between the strip E and the roll surface 52 will occur. Because the strip E is delivered from roll 50 to roll 52 at a slower rate of travel than the travel of roll 52 the strip E is stretched. The strip E is relatively inextensible at normal temperatures and accordingly the length of strip E between rolls 50 and 52 will remain in its original condition until it comes to close association with or contacts the heated roll 52 and at that line of contact with roll 52 a continuous elongation of the strip E will take place. However due to the adherence of the heated film or wrapping material to the curved surface of the contacted surface of the roll 52 the width of the strip E will be substantially maintained and the gauge will be reduced in proportion to the increase of travel of roll 52 over that of roll Due to the flexibility of the method and apparatus involved in this invention it is evident that commercially some users will find it advantageous to use one machine to package various kinds of articles or material. In this event it may be desirable that the film to be suitable for packaging one type of article should be decreased in gauge from that of the material of the supply roll while for another article of different type a material of an increased gauge from that of the supply roll may be desirable. The reductions of gauge of the material on the supply roll has been thoroughly discussed and for the sake of brevity it is considered advisable to point out only briefly that to increase the gauge of the strips of film or wrapping material E and F it will only be necessary to increase the surface travel of the take-01f rolls to a speed of travel greater than that of the heating rolls thereby crowding the strip material onto the heater rolls. Obviously, it may be desirable to employ an idler roll or other means not shown to press the strip of material in non-slipping contact with the take-01f rolls and of course when the crowding operation is to be employed the take-oif rolls should be moved to a position close to the heating rolls. As will now be readily understood this invention contemplates means for decreasing the gauge of the film or wrapping material and also to increase its gauge if desired and of course no change in gauge need be made in those cases where the original gauge of the film or wrapping material is satisfactory.

In a packaging operation of the type employed in this invention it is vitally important that the thin film or sheet of wrapping material be heated a uniform required temperature. Since the thickness of said film or wrapping material used may be as thin as one-thousandth of an inch or less it will acquire in a vary short interval of time any variation of temperature from any heat medium to which it is exposed. Heat supply medium heretofore known are not satisfactory for use in the operation of this invention. However the roll 52 and 52a has overcome these faults by means of their construction as has been previously described.

The strips of film or wrapping material E and F travel from rolls 52 and 52a to wrapping station members 54 and 54a. B reference to Figs. 6 and 8 it will be seen that these two members 54 and 540 are of a squirrel cage type and are shown with circular end members connected by means of transverse bars. The film or wrapping material contacts the wrapping station 54 on the surface of end members 99' and 9! and bridges the grooves H0 and III and as this member rotates the film or wrapping material lies on the outer surface of the transverse members 92 and bridges the grooves 98. A material such as Pliofilm when heated and anchored to difierent points it tends to assume a straight line to the points. It will thus be seen that the film when anchored to end members 99 and to transverse bars 92 it will assume the convex contour of end member 90 and 9| and will also assume a relatively fiat plane across the space between the bars 92 thus forming a pocket like cavity. As the film is delivered from heater roll 52a to wrapping station member 54a the film or wrapping material will lie in the same relative position as it will lie on the male protruding surfaces; I20 and I 2I on the end members 199 and IUI respectively and the surfaces of I02 bridging the grooves I08 and IIlBa. The film or wrapping material from its point of contact with wrapping station 54 to the point Where it contacts projections I20 and I2I of end members H10 and IIII respectively of wrapping stations 54a does not touch circumferential wires H2 or the transverse wires H8. By suitable brushes, not shown, a suitable controlled electrical current is caused to circulate through the wires I I2 and H8 in series from collector ring 9'! to collector ring 96. The wire II2 which lies in the circumferential grooves H0 and III is of a sufficiently larger predetermined gauge than wire IIB which lies in the transverse grooves 98 and 98a to cause a sealing temperature to be imparted to the said wire I I2 and a severing temperature to be imparted to wire I I8. This variation of temperature of these wires is due to the difierence of their cross-sectional area both being composed of the same material. Obviously to those skilled in the art the desired temperatures in these wires may be obtained electrically in different ways as for example bringing the supply of electrical current to wires I I2 and I I8 independently and controlling the temperature of each independently and it is to be understood that such changes are within the conception of my invention. It is also within the conception of this invention to interrupt the flow of current at-any interval or in any portion of the electrical circuit.

The strips E and F progressively converge at the points where the wrapping stations 54 and 54a contact which is approximately on the center line :cr shown in Fig. 4. The temperature imparted to the film or Wrapping material by roll 52 and 52a, is the minimum temperature required to condition the film or wrapping material to properly shape the required receptacle and extend to cover an object, article or material being packaged. In most cases this temperature just referred to is lower than that required to cause the converged strips E and F to fuse or seal, consequently, it is necessary to further heat the film or wrapping material at the points where it is to be fused or sealed together. It is important that the temperature of the film or wrapping material except at the immediate sealing point be maintained at the temperature it is delivered to the wrapping station and that no substantial rise in temperature occurs accordingly heated rolls have been found to be impractical due to the transfer of heat from such heated rolls to the film or wrapping material. As the strips E and F progressively approach the line :rw as mentioned above they are forced from their bridged position over the grooves II [I and III against the sealing heated wire H2 by means of the projections I20 and I2I. It is to be noted that the strips E and F are in contact with one another before they are forced into the said grooves against the sealing wire. The contact of these converged strips with the heated wire H2 is only momentary and not until the separate strips are in contact with each other. This is important as continued contact with a surface hot enough to effect fusing of the film or wrapping material results in a rupture and objectionable thinning down of the film or wrapping material. This progressive contact with the sealing wires seals or fuses the strips E and F along their marginal edges except at the grooves 99 where no contact is made with the heated wires. As the film or wrapping material converges into contact over grooves 98a and 18a a short di's 11' tance prior to reaching center line :c-x the film or wrapping material of strips E and F are pressed toward wire I 18 by transverse bar I02. When the bars 92 and 102 reach the center line ac.r wire H8 will have severed the strips E and F across their transverse width by having forced the hot wire H8 through said strips into groove 108a. It is important at this point to note that the strips E and F are in firm contact with each other before they are pressed against the heated cut-01f wire H8 which lies below the surface of the bar 92. This results in a transverse seal of the strips E and F and then the severing through the center of this sealed portion resulting in two sealed edges one on each side of the severing wire. If the operation just described was continued without feeding lollipops or other articles through the wrapping station it is obvious that the strips E and F of film or wrapping material would be formed into a series of pillow-like receptacles.

It will also be seen that by omitting wire I I2 in groove III that sacks with an open end or edge would be formed. It will further be seen that various shapes and outlines of receptacles and packages can be made by corresponding changes in the shape of the wrapping station members 54 and 54a. It is to be understood that the forming of such articles and receptacles are within the scope of my invention.

Now returning to the operation of passing the lollipops through the wrapping station whereby to cover the lollipop body portions B and that portion of the handles A that is adjacent to the said body portions, it will be seen that as the lollipops are advanced through the wrapping station by having their handles inserted in sockets [0 they will be encased in the pillow-like receptacles just described. However, as in the case of the lollipop, where the body portion B is larger than the receptacle being formed, the body will be pressed against the heated film or wrapping material thereby increasing the volume of the receptacle without displacing the wrapping material from its held portions on the transverse bars and end members of the wrapping station members.

In practice it is desirable to have a packaging machine capable of packa ing or wrapping articles of different sizes and shapes. Various types of articles, shapes and materials may be wrapped or packaged with the machine and method cornprising this invention. Obviously different shapes and sizes of articles will require different sizes and styles of wrapping station members and to disclose the manner of accommodating the machine for such changes will not be discussed in relation to packaging lollipops of various sizes.

Should it be desired to wrap a larger lollipopthan that illustrated in Fig. 1 sufficient space is available between the body portions of the lollipops for a larger body portion to be carried by the handles in the conveyor belt sockets and still have space for the wrapping station members 9 2 and I02 to cooperate between said body portrons. This larger body portion may require a difierent dimensioned wrapping station 54 and 54a A change of said stations is made by substituting a suitable pair of wrapping station 'members for the ones previously in use. As has been indicated in the detailed description of the mechanism this change of wrapping station members will be accomplished as follows: The idler sprockets 56 are moved so as to release the tension on chain 5'! and bearing caps M and Ma are removed thereby allowing wrapping station members 54 and 54a with its sprockets 55 and 55a to be moved from their respective bearings. Bearings 43, 43a, 44 and 44a are shifted to their desired position on rods 4|. The set screws 41 are loosened and tightened to accomplish the relocation of said bearing. The wrapping station members to be substituted are placed in their respective bearings with the sprockets 55 and 55a attached in operative position. If different members 50, 50a, 52 and 52a are required they may be substituted in similar manner to that of the packaging station members. Substitution of different members may make realignment of the strips E and F desirable and this is accomplished by the adjusting screws 11 and Ha on the roll holder H and Ha. Obviously this interchangeability of members makes possible selective arrangements whereby the rate of travel of the film E and F on members 50 and 52, and 50a and 52a respectively to afiect the thickness of the film or wrapping material in their progressive travel to the Wrapping station.

From the foregoing it will be evident that I have provided novel method steps and apparatus for covering various articles. If necessary to facilitate its proper shaping, the film or wrapping material may be softened either by heat or by moisture or otherwise, dependent upon the inherent properties of the particular material selected. Obviously the invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

This application is a continuation in part of application Serial No. 193,214, filed February 28, 1938, and now issued as Patent 2,486,750 of November 1, 1949.

I claim:

1. In the method of continuously wrapping successive articles in thermoplastic sheet ma terial, the combined steps of continuously feed ing converging strips of such material toward each other, simultaneously heating and stretch-* ing said strips before they reach the wrapping position, immediately thereafter presenting an article to wrapping position and partly enclosing the same between the two strips, and supplying additional heat to fuse mutually engaging portions of the converging strips to complete the enclosure of the article.

2. In the method of continuously wrapping successive articles in thermoplastic sheet material, the combined steps of continuously feeding two converging strips of such material toward each other, simultaneously heating and stretching said strips before they reach the wrapping postion, immediately thereafter presenting an article to wrapping position where said material is subjected to additional stretch by the article being wrapped being pressed against said material, and supplying additional heat to fuse mutually engaging portions of the converging strips to complete the enclosure of the article.

3. In the method of continuously wrapping successive articles in thermoplastic sheet material, the combined steps of continuously feeding two converging strips toward each other to meet adjacent to a wrapping station, heating said sheets by surface contact with a pair of heating rolls adjacent to but in advance of the wrapping station, such heating being only suffi-' cient to soften the sheet material to facilitate its manipulation about the article to be wrapped, pres ting an article to. position between the 13 converging warmed sheets at the wrapping station, completing the enclosure of the article between the strips of sheet material and at the same time supplying additional heat to fuse the mutually engaging portions of the opposing strips. 7

4. In a method of packaging, the novel steps of continuously feeding two strips of thermoplastic sheet'material in convergence .toward a wrapping station, heating the sheet material strips immediately before they pass to the wrapping station, then presenting an article to be wrapped at the wrapping station in such a way as to effect pressure contact between the opposite sides of said article and said opposing strips of wrapping material and thus to enclose said article, and applying additional heat to simultaneously seat the enclosed article and to sever it from the following strip material.

5. In the method of continuously wrapping successive articles in thermoplastic sheet material, the combined steps of continuously feeding two converging strips of such material toward each other, simultaneously heating and subjecting said strips to linear stretch while preventing the strips from narrowing thereby reducing the gauge and increasing the surface area of the strips, immediately thereafter presenting an article to the wrapping position where said material is subjected to additional stretch by the article being pressed against said material, and supplying additional heat to fuse mutually engaging portions of the converging strips to complete the enclosure of the article.

6. In the method of continuously wrapping successive articles in thermoplastic sheet material, the combined steps of continuously feeding two converging strips of such material toward each other, simultaneously heating and subjecting said strips to linear stretch while preventing the strips from narrowing thereby reducin the gauge and increasing the surface area of the strips, and immediately thereafter presenting an article to the wrapping position where said material is subjected to additional stretch by the article being pressed against said material.

7. The method of packaging articles in heatstretchable and heat-sealable sheet material, consisting in continuously feeding strips of said material in opposed relation to each other, heating said strips progressively and concurrently in two stages, first, in advance of the wrapping station and to a non-fusing temperature to render them stretchable, and, second, at the wrapping station to a fusing temperature to render them sealable, pressing small areas of longitudinal zones of said strips into contact with each other progressively at the Wrapping station to form longitudinal seals, pressing small areas of transverse zones of said strips into contact with each other progressively at the wrapping station to form transverse seals, and depositin an article between said strips subsequently to the formation of one transverse seal and prior to the formation of the next following transverse seal to form a chain of hermetically sealed packages, each containing an article.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the heating of the strips in the first stage is effected throughout their entire width and wherein the heating of the strips in the second stage is confined to the small areas which are pressed into contact to form the longitudinal and transverse seals referred to.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein I '14 the heat-sealing of the strips in the transverse zones is accompanied by a heat severance of a preceding package from the next followin package.

10. In the method of continuously wrapping successive articles in a thermoplastic sheet material, the novel steps of continuously feeding a strip of such material toward the wrapping station, softening the strip by heat and then stretching it longitudinally while preventing it from narrowing, thereby reducing the gauge and increasing the area of the strip, and thereafter manipulating the softened stretched strip at the wrapping station to enclose the, article.

11. In the method of continuously wrapping successive articles in a thermoplastic sheet material, the novel steps of continuously feeding a strip of such material toward the wrapping station, softening the strip by heating it to a nonfusing temperature and then stretching it longitudinally while preventing it from narrowing, thereby reducing the gauge and increasing the area of the strip, and thereafter manipulating the softened stretched strip at the wrapping station to enclose the article and heating the strip to a fusing temperature to seal the enclosed article.

12. Packaging apparatus having a wrapping station and comprising, in combination, means for advancing a sheet of heat-stretchable material to the wrapping station, means for heating the sheet in its advance and for stretching it linearly to increase its area before it reaches the wrapping station, and means for manipulating the heated and stretched advancing sheet at the Wrapping station to enclose the article to be wrapped.

13. Packaging apparatus having a wrapping station and comprising, in combination, means for advancing a sheet of heat-stretchable material to the wrapping station, means for heating the sheet in its advance and for simultaneously stretching it linearly to increase its area before it reaches the wrapping station, said. heating and stretching means comprising a heated roller which makes direct contact with the advancing sheet and is operated at a peripheral speed greater than the linear speed of travel of the advancing sheet, and means for manipulating the heated and stretched advancing sheet at the wrapping station to enclose the article to be wrapped.

14. Packaging apparatus having a wrapping station and comprising, in combination, means for advancing opposed sheets of heat-stretchable and heat-sealable material to the wrapping station, means for heating the sheets in their ad- Vance and for stretching them linearly to in-- crease their area, before they reach the wrapping station, and means for pressing the sheets into heat-sealing engagement at the wrapping station about the articles to be wrapped to form a series of individual packages.

15. Packaging apparatus having a wrapping station and comprising, in combination, means for advancing opposed sheets of heat-stretchable and heat-sealable material to the wrapping station, means for heating the sheets to render them sufficiently stretchable before reaching the wrapping station, additional means for heating the sheets at the wrapping station to render them sealable, and means for pressing the sheets into heat-sealing engagement at the wrapping station about the articles to be wrapped to form a series of individual packages.

15 16. Packaging apparatus having a wrapping station and comprising, in combination, means for advancing opposed sheets of heat-stretchable and heat-sealable material to the wrapping station, means for heating the sheets to render them sufiiciently stretchable before reaching the wrapping station, additional means for heating the sheets at the wrapping station to render them sealable, means for pressing the sheets into heat-sealing engagement at the wrapping station about the articles to be wrapped to form a series of individual packages, and still further heating means for cutting through the heatsealed sheets between the individual packages.

FRED B. PFEIFFER.

file of this patent:

Number 16 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Wyman July 7, 1908 Heist Jan. 29, 1924 De Correvont May 3, 1932 Salfisberg Dec. 27, 1938 Maxfield Feb. '7, 1939 Pittenger et a1 Apr. 25, 1939 Salfisberg July 18, 1939 McCoy Aug. 8, 1939 Strauch Aug. 6, 1940 Hausheer Feb. 25, 1941 Brown Nov. 3, 1942 Farmer et a1. Nov. 24, 1942 Calvert Aug. 17, 1943 Clunan Jan. 25, 1944 Snyder Feb. 29, 1944 Cloud July 9, 1946 Cloud Dec. 13, 1949 

